Scrap
MoU on reforms, says CPMShimla, June 12Terming the memorandum of
understanding on fiscal reforms as “inhumane”, the CPM has
threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the state government did
not rethink on the issue.

Residents
resent dumping of garbageHamirpur, June 12The Forest Department here has
decided to file a complaint with the local police against the Hamirpur
Nagar Parishad for dumping and burning garbage in its pine forests
located on Hamirpur-Sujanpur Thira and Hamirpur-Nadaun road. The
department took this action following the failure of the parishad to
dump garbage in the Dang Di Kwali forest area of the town.

Stop
intimidation of teachers, says HPUTAShimla, June 12Expressing resentment over the
alleged intimidation of certain teachers by the Vigilance Department,
the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Association has demanded an
end to this humiliation immediately.

Uniform
likely for govt primary schoolsShimla, June 12The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra
Singh, today said that the government was considering introducing a
uniform in all government primary schools in the state in order to
bring about discipline.

Red
Cross fair beginsShimla, June 12The Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje,
today urged the people of the state to contribute liberally towards
the Red Cross fund as it was being utilised to help the needy and
poor.

Shimla, June 12
Terming the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on fiscal reforms as “inhumane”, the CPM has threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the state government did not rethink on the issue.

Addressing a press conference here today, former MLA and CPM leader Rakesh Singha termed the MoU on fiscal reforms signed by the state government with the Centre as a copy of the plan model adopted by Mr Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh, which was rejected by people outrightly.

In case the state government did not reconsider the MOU, the party would mobilise public support and hold rallies and protests, he said. If the government was serious about austerity, it should start by reducing the perks and financial benefits given to the ministers, MLAs, MPs and chairpersons of boards and corporations, he added.

“The entire exercise of generating revenue involves burdening farmers, middle-class employees, students, youth, women and daily-wagers,” he said, and added there were several other methods that the government could adopt to tide over the financial crisis.

Measures like increasing the state’s share in revenue from hydel projects from the present 12.5 per cent to 25 per cent and demanding the arrears that are due from Punjab on account of the Bhakra hydel project must be resorted to rather than making the public pay, he said.

Another way of generating revenue was to impose a cess of 10 per cent on the over 200 private professional institutions in the state, which could be utilised on development projects, he said. Matters like the state being compensated with Rs 400 crore annually for preserving its forest wealth could also be taken up with the Centre, he added.

SUNDERNAGAR:
Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Chief Minister, termed the state budget as anti-people and said it reflected the MoU signed by the state government with the Centre.

Addressing mediapersons here on Saturday, he said if the MoU was implemented, the BJP would oppose it as certain clauses contained in it were against the election manifesto of the Congress government.

He said the Congress had promised to give employment to one lakh youth per year, but now it had decided to reduce the strength of employees by 2 per cent every year and to abolish posts in various departments that were lying vacant for more than three years.

Hamirpur, June 12
The Forest Department here has decided to file a complaint with the local police against the Hamirpur Nagar
Parishad for dumping and burning garbage in its pine forests located on Hamirpur-Sujanpur Thira and Hamirpur-Nadaun road. The department took this action following the failure of the parishad to dump garbage in the Dang Di Kwali forest area of the town.

Mr P.L. Chauhan, Divisional Forest Officer, Hamirpur, said here on Tuesday that despite repeated requests by the department the parishad was not responding it had decided to launch criminal proceedings against the parishad.

People of the town, especially those living in the Hiranagar area and the employees colony on the eastern side of the Hamirpur-Sujanpur Tihra road, were facing problems due the foul smell being emitted from the dumping and burning of garbage inside the Dang Di Kwali forest area of the town by the Nagar parishad.

Trucks and other vehicles of the parishad were dumping the town garbage in the forest despite protest by the local people everyday. On many occasions, there had been quarrels between the parishad staff and the local people who had protested against the dumping and burning of the garbage.

The previous BJP government had sanctioned a sum of Rs 50 lakh for a solid-waste disposal project but that project was yet to become a reality. There were reports that the proposal for the acquisition of land for the project was in the final stages and would be given to the parishad in a month’s period. The delay in handing over the site was due to lengthy legal process due to involvement of forestland in the proposed site of the project.

A spokesman of the parishad said that the parishad was also unhappy with the dumping of garbage at the Dang Di Kwali forest area of the town. However, it had no other option or site for his purpose. He said that once the land for the proposed project was transferred to the parishad, it would start work on warfooting for the completion of the project.

Shimla, June 12
Expressing resentment over the alleged intimidation of certain teachers by the Vigilance Department, the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Association (HPUTA) has demanded an end to this humiliation immediately.

In a statement issued here today, the president of the association, Prof Shiv Raj Singh, and secretary, Vinay Kaushal regretted that despite the HPUTA being in the forefront to expose the alleged corrupt practices of the sacked Vice -Chancellor, Prof S.D. Sharma, and certain other persons, teachers were being harassed.

Taking serious exception to the budgetary cut of 30 per cent, Prof Shiv Raj Singh said this was adversely affecting the functioning of various departments and the university on the whole. “The VC had earlier assured that these financial cuts would be stopped but on the contrary funds for research and teaching have also been affected, which the HPUTA will not tolerate,” he said.

He added that despite assurances from the VC some of the long-pending demands like enhancement of superannuation age of teachers to 62 as per the recommendations of the UGC had not been implemented.

Interviews for promotion under the career advancement scheme have not been held so far. The vacant posts in the Departments of Political Science, Psychology and Chemistry and Hindi have not been filled, he further said.

Shimla, June 12
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today said that the government was considering introducing a uniform in all government primary schools in the state in order to bring about discipline.

Mr Virbhadra Singh today laid the foundation stone of a Rs 2.85 crore administrative block of Lal Bahadur Shastri Degree College in Sarswati Nagar in the Jubbal- Kotkhai area of Shimla. “The government has also decided to provide school uniforms to poor and deserving students who could not afford to buy these so that they feel on a par with their classmates and did not suffer from any kind of complex.” he stated.

A dog show at the annual Red Cross fair in Shimla on Saturday.
— Photo by Anil Dayal

Shimla, June 12
The Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, today urged the people of the state to contribute liberally towards the Red Cross fund as it was being utilised to help the needy and poor.

Mr Kokje, who inaugurated the state-level Red Cross fair here today, said by participating in the Red Cross movement one could extend a helping hand to the under-privileged sections of society. “Organising these kind of fairs not only helps in creating awareness among the masses about the Red Cross but helps in raising funds,” he said.

The Governor along with his wife, Ms Leena Kokje, went around all stalls and evinced keen interest in the exhibition. A cultural programme was presented on the occasion.

Nahan, June 12
A martyrs’ park will come up at Habban in Sirmaur district, known for the Pajhota andolan during the freedom struggle. the speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, Mr G.R. Musafir, today laid the foundation stone for the park at Babban in the Pajhota valley, near Rajgarh.

After offering floral tributes at the statues of martyrs, he said the Pajhota andolan of 1936 inspired the common people to form the freedom struggle.